Brain-Based Suggestions for Teaching Reading

Reading in the Brain: The Science and Evolution of a Human Invention

Comments

Dehaene's Work
Charles Mark

3/19/2010 12:11:30 PM

I admire the work of Stanislas Dehaene. His book, "Reading in the Brain" was an eye opener. Dahene has opened the pandora box.

Reading, writing and arithmetic are human inventions perfected over a period of 5,400 years, especially after the invention of printing press in 1450 A.D. We have come to learn in the twenty-first century that the genetic content of all humans living on this planet is 99.6 percent the same. If I understand Dahene correctly, the Creator does not seem to have inserted a single gene among 25,000 genes in the human gene pool that predisposes humans to acquire and master skills in reading, writing and arithmetic.

Ironically, modern day scientists, by mastering skills in reading and writing, and arithmetic are applying their research skills to the extent of changing our very biology by manipulating genes in a bottle and by inserting chips into our brains. The modern civilization we have built by applying these skills has solved some problems but has created more serious problems like the biocide, ecocide, and geocide, leave alone not being able to solve the problems of suicide, homicide, and genocide.

We have to rethink where this modern civilization that puts so much emphasis on reading, writing, and arithmetic, competition, innovation and discovery is taking us when our very survival as humanity is at stake. We have to rethink who we are and reinvent what it means to be human on this planet once again. Will Durant (1885-1981,) the great historian of twentieth century, after completing his Eleven Volume History of Civilization said that humanity has seen only two revolutions: agricultural revolution that domiciled humans to grow food and spend time to develop human culture. The second one was the industrial revolution that started in England in 1760s, which in my opinion was the result of the invention of printing press and educational system resulting from it.

We are now at the tail end of that revolution that started in 1760s, and it is time we focus on reinventing educational system that makes us more human, less religious, less combative, less exploitative of planetary resources, more spiritual and more humane persons. Charles Mark www.spirituality-intelligence.com

Reading in the Brain(2)
Lynn Quitman Troyka, PhD

12/20/2009 6:05:42 PM

 I'm pleased this author urges caution! Please heed this advice! Well-meaning as he is, this author uses science to justify what educators have long called the "phonics approach" to teaching children to read. However, these same educators have known for years that this system works for only 30%-50% of children. The rest learn to read by "sight," a broad category perhaps best discussed in sources advocating "individualized reading programs," which are found today in the best-informed elementary schools. While some sight readers might be open to a bit of phonics, most become frustrated and resist reading if forced to use phonics. Even E.D. Hirsch, an educator who's among the strongest proponents of the phonics approach, makes clear that this system does not work for all children. (As an aside, I worry this book might be cited to increase the sales of the plethora of phonics-based very expensive commercial products that are heavily advertised to parents of young children--though I'm sure this author would be dismayed at such citation. Thing is, a number of my adult students in MA Program in Language and Literacy, English Department, The City College of New York (CCNY)have told me they've invested in one of these products, and they're upset because it's not working with their child. They fear there's something wrong with their parenting or their child. Oh my!)

Reading in the Brain
Glenn F. Purpura

12/15/2009 3:36:09 PM

 We began using the Academic Associates Reading Program in late September of this year with our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. This program incorporates a lot of what this article states. I could not be happier with the students progress. Learn how the brain reads and adapt your reading program to it.